All nuclear power plants are required to perform visual inspections of specific welds at specified intervals. The conventional method of such a visual inspection attaches a camera on one end of a long pole or rope, and the attached camera is lowered via the pole or rope to an inspection area. Technicians manually deliver these cameras just above the reactor core. This places the technicians in a hazardous environment, as they are exposed to moderate amounts of radiation. Due to the large scope of the required inspections, a high number of technicians are staffed to perform the scope in a minimum time period. This high quantity of personnel is costly for nuclear operators. Related to the different personnel performing these inspections, are the differences in how each technician/inspector performs the specific inspection. These technicians are usually suspended in a large obtrusive platform in or on the water, and this platform interferes with other in-vessel outage activities and can be time consuming and costly to maintain, install and remove.
Furthermore, part of the examination process is the requirement to clean the weld before the inspection. The conventional method requires either a brush or hydrolyzing wand to be mounted to an end of a long pole, which is in addition to the pole or rope for the inspection camera. As such, the inspection and cleaning process is a time consuming process, as it requires multiple pole or rope installations and removals to perform a given inspection.